The following events, organizations and people deserve either a
Thumbs Up or a Thumbs Down this week:
THUMBS UP: San Benito High School has finally resurrected its student honor roll. This week, 800-plus academic achievers received some acknowledgment for their hard work in the classroom when their names appeared on the honor roll listing published in the Free Lance. The high school stopped releasing an honor roll several years ago over concerns that publicizing students’ achievements might violate their privacy. Frank Muro, who runs the school’s migrant program, deserves credit for bringing the honor roll back. He rallied support from the school’s faculty and lobbied hard with the administration and school board. “The administrators and school board members who suspended this simple form of recognition for academic achievement deserve a failing grade for common sense,” Muro said in a February message to the school’s staff. We agree. But those who made the decision to bring back the honor roll deserve an ‘A’ for recognizing the value of celebrating our students’ best efforts.
THUMBS DOWN: Dick Bruhn, the San Benito Street clothing store that has been a fixture in downtown Hollister for decades, has closed its doors. The loss of another retailer is a blow to Hollister’s struggling downtown. The store’s merchandise will be sold off through a chain-wide liquidation sale that will be conducted at some of the regional chain’s other outlets. Neighboring business owners are hopeful that the building won’t stay vacant for long. Jerry Muenzer, owner of Muenzer’s Cyclery and Sports Center, said he’s hopeful another “anchor” – for example, a busy restaurant – will move in. “Downtown is definitely going through some changes,” he said.
THUMBS UP: Local Relay for Life organizers got their fundraising efforts off to a colorful start this week, festooning downtown Hollister with purple ribbons and balloons. The event – which raises money to support cancer research – won’t take place until Aug. 3 and 4, but the push to beat last year’s fundraising total of $220,000 is already hitting high gear. Relay for Life co-chairwoman Carol Tortorelli said this year’s goal is $245,000. Anyone interested in forming a team to participate in the 24-hour relay or volunteering in some other capacity can send an email to ho************@ya***.com.
THUMBS DOWN: A $3.8 million federal grant that the city of San Juan Bautista was counting on to help fund improvements to the city’s water system appears to be in doubt after an audit by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of the Inspector General raised questions about the city’s ability to successfully manage the grant. Nonetheless, City Manager Jan McClintock said San Juan Bautista plans to push forward with the water project. The city might not have any other choice. The Central Coast Regional Quality Control Board has issued a cease-and-desist order. If the city doesn’t make progress toward improving its water system, it could face big fines.
